I don't really understand why what the Lions are doing is so incredibly bad. Hanson was wishy-washy about coming back to play again and once he decided to comeback they gave him a min offer which seems like a pretty fair offer for a specialist with a worn down body and a mind not fully invested in coming back. If the rigors of being a kicker is to much for him to play one more season for a million less than he should probably just retire now.

Just because the Lions aren't committing more money to Hanson doesn't mean they don't have a plan for the spot if he doesn't resign. They could already have a target in mind in the draft as plan B if Hanson had decided to retire or is unwilling to resign. It's completely nonsensical to think that the Lions would have all their plans for the position relying on getting Hanson back, but they are unwilling to move on their offer.

I disagree that a min. offer is worthy offer for Hanson. I've outlined all the reasons he's worth more. I can't put it more plainly than I have. I don't believe that it's the "rigors of being a kicker" for one more season that are too much for him, I think he IS worth more than $1M, he thinks the $1M offer is boarder-line insulting, and he WILL find a team throughout the season that will be willing to pay him more than the vet min. that we're offering him.

My point is, if they really liked a guy in this draft they wouldn't have made him an offer, and they would have just went out and got "their guy" and asked Hanson to retire, which would have been fine with me. For that reason I don't think that they have their eye on one special kicker. I think it's a mistake to just take the best kicker in any draft. We've always been a team (for the last two decades anyhow) that went out and got a "special" kicker and we had him for years. IMO that's more the "right" thing to do when it comes to a kicker.

FWIW... I DO have proof that they simply "can't afford" to pay him more. We're $6.8 under the cap, our rookies are going to cost us $7.7 (meaning, even without Hanson's min offer, and POSSIBLY without Mosely we still need to find a million dollars just to sign our rookies).

April 4th, 2013, 3:10 pm

regularjoe12

Off. Coordinator – Jim Bob Cooter

Joined: March 30th, 2006, 12:48 amPosts: 4194Location: Davison Mi

Re: David Akers?

i dont understand why you assume that if they "had their guy in the draft" that that means they are guarenteed to draft him. looking at other players and forming backup plans was smart last time i looked. you have no idea if they "have their guy" in this years draft. they arn't telling anyone who they are looking at...

I don't really understand why what the Lions are doing is so incredibly bad. Hanson was wishy-washy about coming back to play again and once he decided to comeback they gave him a min offer which seems like a pretty fair offer for a specialist with a worn down body and a mind not fully invested in coming back. If the rigors of being a kicker is to much for him to play one more season for a million less than he should probably just retire now.

Just because the Lions aren't committing more money to Hanson doesn't mean they don't have a plan for the spot if he doesn't resign. They could already have a target in mind in the draft as plan B if Hanson had decided to retire or is unwilling to resign. It's completely nonsensical to think that the Lions would have all their plans for the position relying on getting Hanson back, but they are unwilling to move on their offer.

I disagree that a min. offer is worthy offer for Hanson. I've outlined all the reasons he's worth more. I can't put it more plainly than I have. I don't believe that it's the "rigors of being a kicker" for one more season that are too much for him, I think he IS worth more than $1M, he thinks the $1M offer is boarder-line insulting, and he WILL find a team throughout the season that will be willing to pay him more than the vet min. that we're offering him.

My point is, if they really liked a guy in this draft they wouldn't have made him an offer, and they would have just went out and got "their guy" and asked Hanson to retire, which would have been fine with me. For that reason I don't think that they have their eye on one special kicker. I think it's a mistake to just take the best kicker in any draft. We've always been a team (for the last two decades anyhow) that went out and got a "special" kicker and we had him for years. IMO that's more the "right" thing to do when it comes to a kicker.

FWIW... I DO have proof that they simply "can't afford" to pay him more. We're $6.8 under the cap, our rookies are going to cost us $7.7 (meaning, even without Hanson's min offer, and POSSIBLY without Mosely we still need to find a million dollars just to sign our rookies).

What another team will pay Hanson is irrelevant since he has said he only wants to play for the Lions or retire.

They may not have one specific guy in this draft that they have to have but they may feel good about the available prospects as a whole. The Lions got Eddie Murray with a mid-late round pick and used a 2nd to get Hanson. With the cap situation no one would be ok with them using a high pick on a "special" kicker when the team needs cheap play makers at so many other positions.

The Lions are taking a hard stand on what they feel a one year rental at kicker is worth to them and it doesn't match what Hanson feels he's worth. If the Lions knew Hanson was going to be around a couple more seasons I'm sure they would make him an offer that pays an average that fits what he wants, but at one season what they pay him is what hits the cap and they are not close enough to a playoff run to put up the money.

They can afford their rookies and sign Hanson for what he wants. Only the top 51 count against the cap and if the rookies make the roster then some other higher priced vets will be cut making more space than the rookie deals count for. That rookie cost is just the amount their cap hits add up to, it doesn't mean that's how much will actually hit the cap.

April 4th, 2013, 4:04 pm

thelomasbrowns

Player of the Year - Offense

Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:54 pmPosts: 2855

Re: David Akers?

Hanson's retiring...just came out.

_________________"Good teams don't worry about a whole lot of stuff. They travel, they play, they win. And it doesn't matter where they go, what the time block is, all those kinds of things. They never seem to bother teams that play well, and we want to be one of those teams." -Jim Caldwell

April 4th, 2013, 4:15 pm

LionsFan4Life

Fired Head Coach (0-16 record)

Joined: October 30th, 2004, 12:30 pmPosts: 2205Location: Austin, TX

Re: David Akers?

I saw it as well.

_________________

NEVER GIVE UP!

April 4th, 2013, 4:20 pm

inheritedlionsfan

League MVP

Joined: January 13th, 2006, 4:18 amPosts: 3662Location: Maryland

Re: David Akers?

Hanson will be missed. Had hoped he'd make it a few more seasons to at least see some team success in his career.

April 4th, 2013, 5:34 pm

49ers

Varsity Captain

Joined: October 12th, 2011, 9:00 amPosts: 289Location: Vermont

Re: David Akers?

Great kicker, very under-appreciated by everyone not in the NFC North.

_________________

Pablo wrote:

the app worked OK, but it is hard to draft while driving.

April 4th, 2013, 6:37 pm

DJ-B

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: April 5th, 2007, 5:51 pmPosts: 2578

Re: David Akers?

Agreed. Deserves its own thread Now. Best Wishes Mr. Hanson, you deserve all the praise you ever got and more, you will be missed.

April 4th, 2013, 6:44 pm

The Legend

Team President - Rod Wood

Joined: February 11th, 2005, 3:01 pmPosts: 4886Location: WSU

Re: David Akers?

wjb21ndtown wrote:

The Legend wrote:

wjb21ndtown wrote:

The Legend wrote:

I think Hanson could kick for another year or two and still be pretty accurate inside 40 yards. I agree he s not consistently booming kickoffs for touchbacks anymore but he can get them into the endzone from time to time. The issue to me is cost - he was getting paid way too much for being an above average kicker on a very bad team that showed tons of holes. I think he s worth around 1.5-2 million but if he still wants the 3-4 million he s gotten in the past Im not sure its worth it anymore. As far as I know the best kicker in this draft is Dustin Hopkins from Florida St and if the Lions used a late round pick on him he d probably only be getting 500-600k for the first 4 years? Lions missed out on a great year for kickers last year with Zeurlein, Tucker, and Walsh. Maybe Hopkins fits that mold.

On another but similar note, who is this punter the Lions signed and is he the answer? Im sick of the putrid punting we ve had since the team signed Nick Harris during the Mariucci era.

His last contract averaged $2M per year...

that was just in salary with a 2.7 mill signing bonus over 4 years, his cap number was $3.3 million last year which he is no longer worth

His cap number was $3.3 last year, but the average salary of the entire contract was $2M, just like I said. He was playing for under $2M to start his K, and over $2M when his salary escalated per his K at the end of the deal, but his K was a 4 year deal, for $7.9M, averaging less than $2M per:

Two things - No 1 your math (or reading) is mistaken. Hanson got over 10mill on the deal when you COUNT THE SIGNING BONUS. His cap number is over $2mill each season

No 2 - the point is that his cap number was over $3 mill last year and he s not worth that anymore

April 4th, 2013, 8:46 pm

inheritedlionsfan

League MVP

Joined: January 13th, 2006, 4:18 amPosts: 3662Location: Maryland

Re: David Akers?

Ugh we signed Akers today. No thanks. Hanson or a rookie should have been our options.

April 5th, 2013, 8:09 pm

thelomasbrowns

Player of the Year - Offense

Joined: August 24th, 2010, 9:54 pmPosts: 2855

Re: David Akers?

inheritedlionsfan wrote:

Ugh we signed Akers today. No thanks. Hanson or a rookie should have been our options.

We've traditionally had kicker competitions in camp, even with Hanson. Bringing in Akers does not preclude us from drafting a kicker. It just means we have a proven vet if we're not able to bring in a quality rookie.

_________________"Good teams don't worry about a whole lot of stuff. They travel, they play, they win. And it doesn't matter where they go, what the time block is, all those kinds of things. They never seem to bother teams that play well, and we want to be one of those teams." -Jim Caldwell

Ugh we signed Akers today. No thanks. Hanson or a rookie should have been our options.

We've traditionally had kicker competitions in camp, even with Hanson. Bringing in Akers does not preclude us from drafting a kicker. It just means we have a proven vet if we're not able to bring in a quality rookie.

I hope we didn't give him any guaranteed money.

April 5th, 2013, 10:34 pm

DJ-B

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: April 5th, 2007, 5:51 pmPosts: 2578

Re: David Akers?

Agreed.it weas pretty Ugh, but im hoping he is just an insurance policy. For tbhose worried about Hansons leg in this thread, hes 1 of the most accurate 50yd kickers ever. Akers couldnt hit poop in the 40s last year. I hope they look at a kicker in the later rounds or at least bring in MULTIPLE people to compete with Akers. Otherwise we will lose even more close games than last year.

Wasn't Akers injured last year? Also for those worried about his range, he tied the record for the longest field goal in NFL history last season, before he got hurt. He made that kick at Lambeau. (by the way, the other two recent kickers to tie that record did it at Mile High Stadium)

I'm not saying he's the greatest kicker in the world, but people are reacting like he's trash. I think that's a bit of an exaggeration.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

April 6th, 2013, 7:04 am

DJ-B

Pro Bowl Player

Joined: April 5th, 2007, 5:51 pmPosts: 2578

Re: David Akers?

He was injured and had a terrible year last year. Before that he was 1 of the best kickers in the league. SF fans loved him, and some even questioned why they didnt keep him to see if he reciovered fully. As I said, not a bad insurance policy, buit id still be happy taking a 6th or 7th at a player like Dustin Hopkins to see if we cant find our Next Hanson. If it doesnt work out, roll with Akers vs Camp Comp and then try again next year, maybe with a slightly higher Pick after a year to evaluate.